Seattle Policy and Planning

Our City is rapidly changing and needs to hear from us!

HALA

The Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA; www.seattle.gov/HALA) was initiated by Mayor Ed Murray in 2014 to develop recommendations for increasing the affordability and availability of housing in Seattle. Of the 28-member committee, 24 were developers or planners, both for-profit and non-profit. Only one of the 28 was a neighborhood representative. The City Council will be considering bits and pieces of legislation to address the 65 HALA recommendations during 2016-2017.​

2035 Comp Plan

The Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Plan will be finalized by the City Council in late 2016 or perhaps early 2017. City officials estimate that Seattle will add 120,000 people and 115,000 new jobs by the year 2035. The Comp Plan outlines how new housing will be provided—primarily in existing and new urban centers and villages, but also suggesting several “upzones” to single family zones to accommodate more housing. The new Comp Plan has no metrics to measure how their plans will affect the neighborhoods.

Zoning

Zoning changes are an important part of both HALA recommendations and the 2035 Comp Plan. Even though studies show that current Seattle building requirements can accommodate the growth expected in the next 20 years, City officials insist that higher density cannot be achieved without up zoning to allow, for example, higher roof-lines, smaller setbacks, reduced parking, etc. Of related interest, Design Review guidelines are also being revised, and among other things, would decrease neighborhood involvement and the elimination of neighborhood plans.